11 Years Ago Today. . .

I became a mom.

My mom gave me a quote shortly after he was born that says,

"Never forget for a single minute,

you didn't grow under my heart, but in it."

Everyone should be so lucky to have a Kale in their life.

Happy 11th Birthday Kale!

Easter at our House

We have church at 9:00 am this year.

For the past four months of having 9:00 am church it has been a marathon to get everything done before we get out the door on time.

So the fact that I got pictures of my kids in their Easter Clothes, and smiling quite possibly could be considered an Easter Miracle!

I might just put baskets out every Sunday with a treat in them if it motivates my kids to get up early on Sunday Mornings!

However, if she's not holding an easter basket her true picture taking faces come out!

Somehow I even convinced my family to stay in their church clothes until we got to Grandma and Grandpa's house for even a few more pictures!

I'm sure the threat of taking away the Easter Egg Hunt had a little to do with it.

Then we celebrated this gal's 87th birthday!

And finally. . .

Let the Easter Egg Hunt Begin!

See if you can find the hidden egg in this picture. . .

Happy Easter Everyone!

Party!

Kris wanted a bowling party. . .

and that's what he got!

Dad even joined us on his lunch hour!

They are twins. . .

Oh wait. . .

These two are the twins!

PRESENTS. . .

and CAKE!

(funny story. . . since I had never done a birthday party like this I was unaccustomed to someone else actually doing all the work for the party and just having to show up. I was so caught up in the awesomeness of not having to do anything for this party I may have forgotten that I need to bring a cake. . . thank you Safeway for being right down the road from the bowling alley!)

I made Kris wait until Dad got home to open his presents from us.

He got a bow and arrow set from his brother.

He got a remote controlled tarantula from his sister (who by the way screams every time she sees it)

and from Mom and Dad he got a PoGo Stick!

We saw a lot of this smile throughout the day!

He was so excited it was his special day!

And honestly. . .

Could there be a more perfect gift for Kristopher????

For those of you who know him know exactly why this is the perfect gift!

A Bubble!

I've always said he needs a bubble!

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Jibson!

As I was tucking him in that night he looks up and says. . .

"mom, why did today have to go so fast?"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KRIS!

7 years ago today. . .

It was a Monday. . .

My in-laws had just returned from a 2 week cruise to Alaska. . .

We had just moved into our new apartment. . .

Kyle was in the middle of Law School Finals. . .

I was 3 weeks away from my due date. . .

And I was so excited to be going to my doctors appointment that morning to hear my little guys heartbeat again. . .

By the time the day was over I wasn't just hearing his heartbeat. . .

I was feeling it right next to mine.

Kristopher's birth was a blur.

I still don't remember everything that happened that day. . .

only that it happened very fast.

One minute I'm at my doctors appointment being told I was diallated to a 3 and the next minute fluid is gushing out of me and all over my poor doctor

(who at this point was as shocked as I was)

and I'm being told to head to the hospital.

I think I was in denial.

So I didn't drive to the hospital.

(big mistake)

I drove home.

To tell my Mother in Law who was babysitting Kale.

And to pack a bag. . . yep it wasn't even started to be packed.

(second big mistake)

and the (third big mistake) was thinking that I could get a hold of my husband during law school finals to tell him to meet me at the hospital.

I finally had the tell the secretary at the law school it was in her hands to find him and give him the message.

He got it and did meet me there.

I remember a nurse coming in right after I had changed my wet clothes and they had hooked me up to the monitor telling me that my contractions were coming really fast and steady and she asked me if I was in pain.

I told her no.

I could feel them, but they felt no different than the braxton hicks I had been having for the past month or so.

I remember asking the nurse when I needed to ask for the epidural. . . see there was no other option but to get an epidural - Someday maybe I'll tell the story of Kale's birth.

And I remember her telling me "when the pain gets bad enough you can't breathe through them anymore then we'll see about getting the epidural"

I thought OK. We've got a while cause I'm not even hurting at this point.

I'm kid you not the second she walked out of the room I got this contraction that completely knocked the wind out of me.

I looked at Kyle and said,

"K that one hurt!"

He said, "Call the nurse and tell her."

I said, "No way, she's gonna think I'm lying. I just told her I wasn't in pain"

And then another huge contraction,

and before I could even breathe another huge contraction.

At this point, Kyle pushes the nurses button.

I remember her coming into the room and Kyle told her I had had some really strong contractions (I mean it had been like 10 minutes since she had left the room before) I just knew she was going to think I was the biggest whimp.

I remember this part so clear. It's funny because I can still see the nurse turn over to the table by my bed with all the equipment on it to grab a pair of gloves so she could check me and I felt the most intense pain of something like seriously moving inside me.

See I hadn't felt any of this with Kale.

I now know it was Kris moving down into the birth canal.

I remember saying out loud.

"Something just happened."

"I don't know what but something just seriously moved inside me."

The nurse lifted up the covers and this is what she said

"Well there's not going to be time for an epidural"

That was the WORST possible thing she could have said to me.

Kale's birth was long and intense (I don't mean labor. . . I mean birth)

I pushed for 4 hours with Kale

and finally after vacuumes, forceps, and nurses straddling my body and pushing him down from the top he was born. . .

and the only thing that saved me was that through it all I didn't feel pain.

So I think that this birth is going to be like that birth but with pain. . .

I got really scared.

Really scared.

I didn't know that after one push it would be over.

And it was.

One push.

The hardest part was not pushing because my doctor wasn't there yet.

It was painful. But it was fast.

I did it.

It was over so fast.

And that's been the story of Kris's life.

FAST.

Everytime I blink he gets bigger and smarter and funnier and sassier and sweeter!

Seriously, How can you go from this?

(imagine this picture is turned the right way - I tried 3 times)

to this. . .

So FAST?

Happy 7th Birthday Kristopher!

2 Months Ago. . .

This little girl had a birthday!

And we did something that we had never done before. . .

We had a PRINCESS PARTY!

A Tangled Princess Party To Be Exact!

Kara shares her birthday with her best friend Addie!

It was so fun to have so many little princesses running through my house!

We rounded out the birthday with a birthday dinner!

Complete with her very own ice cream sundae at the end!

And we ended the day with our traditional

BIRTHDAY BUBBLE BATH!

I think I remembered I hadn't posted about her party because I'm right in the middle of planning both the boys parties!

Life Does Go On. . .

Here's a little update as to what we've been up to lately. . .

First the Big News in our house these days is. . .

No More DIAPERS!

This seems to be the desired outfit these days

cause this girl is

POTTY TRAINED!

We Celebrated!

I don't know if it was to celebrate her going potty all by herself or if we were celebrating just how easy it was to get her to go potty all by herself.

I think I was dreading potty training her.

Everything else with her seems to bring with it a big struggle.

But not this!

She was ready. And it was Easy!

It deserved a BIG CELEBRATION!

March Madness was pretty big at our house this year!

Basketball. Basketball. Basketball.

Kyle participated in his own little basketball game too.

The alumni vs. students Lincoln Law School Basketball Game.

Kyle came out and scored 3 3 pointers right at the beginning of the game.

The alumni was on a roll. . .

but it didn't last long. . .

The students crushed them!

These two couldn't wait until half time when they got to shoot a few hoops themselves!

And if Basketball weren't enough. . .

BASEBALL started again!

(way more to come on that)

We spent St. Patrick's Day with a couple of leprechans!

Kale made the honor roll and Grandma and Grandpa came to see him get his award!

And this picture kinda sums up my life right now. . .

A relaxing bubble bath. . .

NOT!

I put Karalyn in the bath.

I turn the water on.

I walk away.

I get distracted with something else.

I hear. . .

"I'm swimming!"

I walk back in to find the bath water literally spilling over the edge of the tub.

She's laughing and having a great time.

I think I should be mad.

I'm not.

I'm just reminded that's kinda how I feel.

I sometimes feel like everything I have to do is spilling over the edge. . . but I'm having a great time doing it!